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Chemical Exposure (chemical + exposure)
Selected AbstractsNecessity to establish new risk assessment and risk communication for human fetal exposure to multiple endocrine disruptors in JapanCONGENITAL ANOMALIES, Issue 2 2002Emiko Todaka ABSTRACT, Our recent study clearly shows that fetuses are exposed to multiple chemicals including endocrine disruptors in Japan. Although the embryo and fetus stages are the most sensitive period to chemicals in humans' life cycle, the health effects of the chemicals such as endocrine disruptors to them are largely unknown. The conventional risk assessment method cannot assess the risk to fetuses precisely. Now we need a new risk assessment, in which the target is fetuses and not the adults, in addition to the conventional risk assessment At the same time, we also need a new strategy to practically eliminate the risk for the future generations. To make the strategy effective, we suggest a new approach to reduce the risk and avoid the possible adverse health effects, using primary, secondary and tertiary preventions as they are used in public health. We also suggest a new concept of "pre-primary prevention" to reduce the risk for fetuses. Furthermore, to make this method even more practical, we suggest a new risk communication method. In this paper, we present a framework of risk avoidance of multiple chemical exposure to fetuses. [source] Pharmaceutical industry effluent diluted 1:500 affects global gene expression, cytochrome P450 1A activity, and plasma phosphate in fish,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2009Lina Gunnarsson Abstract Patancheru, near Hyderabad, India, is a major production site for the global bulk drug market. Approximately 90 manufacturers send their wastewater to a common treatment plant in Patancheru. Extraordinary high levels of a wide range of pharmaceuticals have recently been demonstrated in the treated effluent. As little as 0.2% of this effluent can strongly reduce the growth rate of tadpoles, but the underlying mechanisms of toxicity are not known. To begin addressing how the effluent affects aquatic vertebrates, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed to 0.2% effluent for 5 d. Several physiological endpoints, together with effects on global hepatic gene expression patterns, were analyzed. The exposed fish showed both an induction of hepatic cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) gene expression, as well as enzyme activity. Clinical blood chemistry analyses revealed an increase in plasma phosphate levels, which in humans indicates impaired kidney function. Several oxidative stress-related genes were induced in the livers; however, no significant changes in antioxidant enzyme activities or in the hepatic glutathione levels were found. Furthermore, estrogen-regulated genes were slightly up-regulated following exposure, and moderate levels of estriol were detected in the effluent. The present study identifies changes in gene expression triggered by exposure to a high dilution of the effluent, supporting the hypothesis that these fish are responding to chemical exposure. The pattern of regulated genes may contribute to the identification of mechanisms of sublethal toxicity, as well as illuminate possible causative agents. [source] Assessing exposure of sediment biota to organic contaminants by thin-film solid phase extractionENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2009Lizanne M. Meloche Abstract Differences in bioavailability among sediments are a source of variability and uncertainty in sediment quality assessment. We present three sets of studies designed to test a thin-film solid phase extraction technique for characterizing the bioavailability of organic chemicals in sediments. Laboratory studies with spiked natural sediments reveal highly reproducible thin-film extractions for chemicals with octanol,water partition coefficients between 104.5 and 108.5, with 95% equilibration times between 1 and 600 h. Studies with field-collected sediments illustrate that method detection limits are sufficiently low for field application at contaminated sites. Bioaccumulation studies with clams (Macoma balthica) show excellent correlations between thin-film and animal tissue concentrations. We conclude that thin-film extraction provides an ecologically relevant, fugacity-based measure of chemical exposure that can be expected to improve sediment quality assessments. [source] Development and validation of a 2,000-gene microarray for the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2007Patrick Larkin Abstract Gene microarrays provide the field of ecotoxicology new tools to identify mechanisms of action of chemicals and chemical mixtures. Herein we describe the development and application of a 2,000-gene oligonucleotide microarray for the fathead minnow Pimephales promelas, a species commonly used in ecological risk assessments in North America. The microarrays were developed from various cDNA and subtraction libraries that we constructed. Consistency and reproducibility of the microarrays were documented by examining multiple technical replicates. To test application of the fathead minnow microarrays, gene expression profiles of fish exposed to 17,-estradiol, a well-characterized estrogen receptor (ER) agonist, were examined. For these experiments, adult male fathead minnows were exposed for 24 h to waterborne 17,-estradiol (40 or 100 ng/L) in a flow-through system, and gene expression in liver samples was characterized. Seventy-one genes were identified as differentially regulated by estradiol exposure. Examination of the gene ontology designations of these genes revealed patterns consistent with estradiol's expected mechanisms of action and also provided novel insights as to molecular effects of the estrogen. Our studies indicate the feasibility and utility of microarrays as a basis for understanding biological responses to chemical exposure in a model ecotoxicology test species. [source] Dietary exposure to low pesticide doses causes long-term immunosuppression in the leopard frog (Rana pipiens)ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2007Anathea Albert Abstract This study examines the relationship between dietary exposure of pesticides, DDT, and dieldrin and immunosuppression in the northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens). Immune function was measured before, during, and after a 10-week exposure period with the use of both adaptive and innate immunity responses. Exposure to low doses (75 ng/g body wt DDT or 2.1 ng/g dieldrin total dose over the 10 weeks) resulted in significant suppressive effects on antibody production and secondary delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH). The high doses (750 ng/g DDT and 21 ng/g dieldrin), however, did not affect antibody production, DTH, or oxidative burst in a predictable dose,response manner. The differences in magnitude and direction of the effects of the two dosing regimes were likely due to differences in chemical exposure on the basis of feeding and effectiveness of chemical uptake. The low dose results demonstrated that moderate concentrations of pesticides, frequently observed in the environment, are able to weaken the immune response of R. pipiens. [source] Using a Geographic Information System to identify areas with potential for off-target pesticide exposureENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2006Thomas G. Pfleeger Abstract In many countries, numerous tests are required as part of the risk assessment process before chemical registration to protect human health and the environment from unintended effects of chemical releases. Most of these tests are not based on ecological or environmental relevance but, rather, on consistent performance in the laboratory. A conceptual approach based on Geographic Information System (GIS) technology has been developed to identify areas that are vulnerable to nontarget chemical exposure. This GIS-based approach uses wind speed, frequency of those winds, pesticide application rates, and spatial location of agricultural crops to identify areas with the highest potential for pesticide exposure. A test scenario based on an incident in Idaho (USA) was used to identify the relative magnitude of risk from off-target movement of herbicides to plants in the conterminous United States. This analysis indicated that the western portion of the Corn Belt, the central California valley, southeastern Washington, the Willamette Valley of Oregon, and agricultural areas bordering the Great Lakes are among those areas in the United States that appear to have the greatest potential for off-target movement of herbicides via drift. Agricultural areas, such as the Mississippi River Valley and the southeastern United States, appears to have less potential, possibly due to lower average wind speeds. Ecological risk assessments developed for pesticide registration would be improved by using response data from species common to high-risk areas instead of extrapolating test data from species unrelated to those areas with the highest potential for exposure. [source] Evaluation of Bioaccumulation Using In Vivo Laboratory and Field Studies,INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2009Annie V Weisbrod Abstract A primary consideration in the evaluation of chemicals is the potential for substances to be absorbed and retained in an organism's tissues (i.e., bioaccumulated) at concentrations sufficient to pose health concerns. Substances that exhibit properties that enable biomagnification in the food chain (i.e., amplification of tissue concentrations at successive trophic levels) are of particular concern due to the elevated long-term exposures these substances pose to higher trophic organisms, including humans. Historically, biomarkers of in vivo chemical exposure (e.g., eggshell thinning, bill deformities) retrospectively led to the identification of such compounds, which were later categorized as persistent organic pollutants. Today, multiple bioaccumulation metrics are available to quantitatively assess the bioaccumulation potential of new and existing chemicals and identify substances that, upon or before environmental release, may be characterized as persistent organic pollutants. This paper reviews the various in vivo measurement approaches that can be used to assess the bioaccumulation of chemicals in aquatic or terrestrial species using laboratory-exposed, field-deployed, or collected organisms. Important issues associated with laboratory measurements of bioaccumulation include appropriate test species selection, test chemical dosing methods, exposure duration, and chemical and statistical analyses. Measuring bioaccumulation at a particular field site requires consideration of which test species to use and whether to examine natural populations or to use field-deployed populations. Both laboratory and field methods also require reliable determination of chemical concentrations in exposure media of interest (i.e., water, sediment, food or prey, etc.), accumulated body residues, or both. The advantages and disadvantages of various laboratory and field bioaccumulation metrics for assessing biomagnification potential in aquatic or terrestrial food chains are discussed. Guidance is provided on how to consider the uncertainty in these metrics and develop a weight-of-evidence evaluation that supports technically sound and consistent persistent organic pollutant and persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemical identification. Based on the bioaccumulation information shared in 8 draft risk profiles submitted for review under the United Nations Stockholm Convention, recommendations are given for the information that is most critical to aid transparency and consistency in decision making. [source] Genetic polymorphism of sulfotransferase 1A1, cigarette smoking, hazardous chemical exposure and urothelial cancer risk in a Taiwanese populationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 12 2008Yuan-Hung Wang Objectives: To investigate the association between genetic polymorphism of sulfotransferase1A1 (SULT1A1), cigarette smoking, hazardous chemical exposure and urothelial cancer risk in a Taiwanese population. Methods: In a hospital-based case,control study, a total of 300 urothelial cancer (UC) cases and 300 cancer-free controls frequency-matched by age and gender were recruited from September 1998 to December 2005. The SULT1A1 arginine213histidine (Arg213His) polymorphism was genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction,restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Results: We found that the significantly increased UC risks of ever smokers and heavy smokers (,28 pack-years) were 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4,3.3) and 2.2 (95% CI = 1.3,3.6), respectively. An increased UC risk of 1.8 (95% CI = 0.8,3.8) was observed among individuals with more than one item of hazardous chemical exposure, but it was not statistically significant. Compared with study subjects carrying the SULT1A1 Arg/Arg genotype, those with SULT1A1 Arg/His or His/His genotypes have a significantly decreased UC risk (Odds ratio [OR] = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3,0.8). Heavy smokers carrying the SULT1A1 Arg/Arg genotype have a significantly increased UC risk (OR = 5.2, 95% CI = 2.3,11.6). Individuals who had been exposed to more than one item of hazardous chemicals and who carried the SULT1A1 Arg/Arg genotype have a significantly increased UC risk (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.4,9.7). The highest significant increased UC risk (OR = 16.1, 95% CI = 2.9,87.2) was observed among ever smokers with hazardous chemical exposure and the SULT1A1 Arg/Arg genotype. Conclusions: SULT1A1 Arg213His polymorphism is associated with the development of UC, especially among cigarette smokers exposed to hazardous chemicals. [source] Gene and protein expressions in human cord blood cells after exposure to acrylonitrileJOURNAL OF BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Cristina Diodovich Abstract Acrylonitrile is a very high volume industrial chemical used primarily in the manufacture of plastics and rubber, which displays a pronounced acute toxicity and may be carcinogenic. The damage to the hematopoietic function by acrylonitrile may result from interference with cytokine production and cytokine receptor binding. Our present data show that acrylonitrile modulates the expression of some genes implicated in cell differentiation, cell-cycle progression, and clonogenic potential of human cord blood cells. A macroarray hybridization analysis showed that expression of the CXCR4, MCP-1, and MRP8 genes was modified by acrylonitrile exposure. Moreover, the acrylonitrile cell target seems to be the myeloid compartment, as assessed by a CFU-GM assay. In particular, the downregulation of CXCR4, MCP1, and MRP8 can be responsible for the observed reduction of cell proliferation and clonogenic capability of CFU-GM precursors. A Western blot assay showed an acrylonitrile-dependent induction of Bax, while Bcl-2 expression changed only after 48 h of chemical exposure. Bax was overexpressed in respect to Bcl-2, and this fact can be responsible for the induction in cell death after 24 h of treatment. C-fos and c-jun were also downregulated after 24 h and 6 h of treatment, respectively. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 19:204,212, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20090 [source] Reproductive investment in relation to survival risk in a livebearing fishJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 2003K. Lindström Animals are expected to change their allocation of resources into offspring depending on their future survival probabilities. Under environmental conditions where survival probabilities are low, we expect to see an increased investment in current reproduction. Fish show an exceptionally wide range of reproductive modes, including systems where parents can be expected to have extensive control of investment in their offspring. In the least killifish, Heterandria formosa, a small livebearing fish, fertilization is internal and females extensively provision developing embryos. Hence females are likely to have control over parturition time and size of their offspring. Our expectation was that under predator threat females should produce offspring at a higher rate than in control situations. Females were given visual and chemical exposure to mosquito fish and sunfish predators. The time until the birth of the first brood was longer in the presence of predators than in the control. However, subsequent birth intervals showed the opposite pattern. In the presence of predators ensuing brood intervals were shorter than in the control treatment. The effect of mosquito fish and sunfish was similar. Despite the decrease in pregnancy interval, newborn offspring were still larger in the presence of sunfish. Our results suggest that the initial response of refraining from reproduction later changes to an increased reproductive output. This increase, however, did not manifest itself as a quality vs. number trade-off as offspring were also bigger in the sunfish treatment. This suggests that reproductive investment increases in the presence of predators and this may represent terminal investment. [source] Corrosion behaviour of aircraft coating systems in acetate- and formate-based de-icing chemicalsMATERIALS AND CORROSION/WERKSTOFFE UND KORROSION, Issue 3 2009E. Huttunen-Saarivirta Abstract Corrosion behaviour of four coating systems, which are commonly used in aircraft components; namely cadmium-coated and subsequently chromate-treated steel AISI 4340, aluminium-coated steel AISI 4340, anodised aluminium alloy 7075-T6 and chromate-treated aluminium alloy 7075-T6, were investigated in six commercial acetate- and formate-based de-icing chemicals. The results show that the aluminium-coated steel specimens experience least corrosion among the four coating systems; no corrosion is detected in potassium acetate-based de-icing chemicals (Safeway KA HOT, Safegrip and Safegrip+), although some corrosion is observed in the other three chemicals (Safeway SD, Safeway SF and Meltium). In contrast, the coatings in the other three coating systems are damaged in all six de-icing chemicals. The thickness of the coating does not necessarily predict how well the coating will protect the substrate; the thickest coating, several tens of micrometres, is apparent on the cadmium- and chromate-coated steel specimens, while only a few micrometres thin aluminium coating on the steel substrate is the only coating system that can survive the corrosion tests in some of the de-icing chemicals. Comparison of the results from the two test methods used in this research, polarisation measurements and chemical exposure tests, shows that, for each coating system, the extent of corrosion, as evaluated on the basis of weight changes calculated from corrosion current density values and those experienced during chemical exposure tests, is different: the weight changes that materialise during exposure tests are, at least, from one to two orders of magnitude higher than those predicted by calculations. In this paper, these observations are discussed and explanations for them are presented. [source] Characterization of a fatal methyl bromide exposure by analysis of the water coolerAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 7 2009David J. Hewitt MD Abstract Background A suspected inhalation exposure to methyl bromide (MeBr) in the packaging and shipping area of a chemical manufacturer resulted in a worker fatality and several symptomatic cases. However, air testing was negative for MeBr resulting in uncertainty regarding the potential chemical exposure. Methods of quickly confirming the exposure and magnitude were sought. Methods Head space air and water samples were obtained from the breakroom water cooler in the facility and tested for MeBr. Results Increased levels of MeBr were identified in the air and water samples from the cooler and used to calculate the MeBr concentration of air entering the cooler. The MeBr air concentration within the breakroom was estimated as 1,200,2,100,ppm depending on assumptions regarding the amount of water dispensed from the cooler both before and during the incident. Conclusions Estimated MeBr air concentrations in the breakroom were consistent with those known to be associated with reported health effects among the involved workers. The water cooler analysis represented a unique method of retrospectively verifying and quantifying exposure to MeBr. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:579,586, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A cohort mortality study of chemical laboratory workers at Department of Energy Nuclear Plants,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 9 2008Travis Kubale PhD Abstract Objective This study evaluates the mortality experience of 6,157 chemical laboratory workers employed at United States Department of Energy facilities. Methods All cause, all cancer and cause-specific standardized mortality ratios were calculated. Cox regression analyses were conducted to further evaluate the relation between chemical exposure and mortality risk due to selected cancers. Results The mortality due to all causes combined and all cancers combined were below expectation for the cohort. There were no statistically significant elevations reported among males for any specific cancer or non-cancer outcome. There no statistically significant elevations among females for any specific non-cancer and most specific cancers; however, multiple myeloma deaths were significantly elevated (SMR,=,3.56; 95% CI,=,1.43,7.33; number of observed deaths, n,=,7). Statistically significant elevations were seen among workers employed 20+ years for leukemia using both 2- and 5-year lag periods. Also, a statistically significant positive trend of elevated lung cancer mortality with increasing employment duration was seen using both 5- and 10-year lags. A similar trend was seen for smoking related cancers among men. Conclusion While lymphatic and hematopoietic cancer mortality was below expectation, a significant elevation of multiple myeloma deaths among females and an elevation of leukemia among workers employed 20+ years (possibly due to radiation and benzene exposure) were observed. A NIOSH case,control study is underway to examine more closely the relation between multiple myeloma and a variety of chemical exposures among workers employed at the Oak Ridge K-25 facility. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:656,667, 2008. Published 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Odorants as cell-type specific activators of a heat shock response in the rat olfactory mucosaTHE JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY, Issue 4 2001Virginian McMillan Carr Abstract Heat shock, or stress, proteins (HSPs) are induced in response to conditions that cause protein denaturation. Activation of cellular stress responses as a protective and survival mechanism is often associated with chemical exposure. One interface between the body and the external environment and chemical or biological agents therein is the olfactory epithelium (OE). To determine whether environmental odorants affect OE HSP expression, rats were exposed to a variety of odorants added to the cage bedding. Odorant exposure led to transient, selective induction of HSP70, HSC70, HSP25, and ubiquitin immunoreactivities (IRs) in supporting cells and subepithelial Bowman's gland acinar cells, two OE non-neuronal cell populations involved with inhalant biotransformation, detoxification, and maintenance of overall OE integrity. Responses exhibited odor specificity and dose dependency. HSP70 and HSC70 IRs occurred throughout the apical region of supporting cells; ubiquitin IR was confined to a supranuclear cone-shaped region. Electron microscopic examination confirmed these observations and, additionally, revealed odor-induced formation of dense vesicular arrays in the cone-like regions. HSP25 IR occurred throughout the entire supporting cell cytoplasm. In contrast to classical stress responses, in which the entire array of stress proteins is induced, no increases in HSP40 and HSP90 IRs were observed. Extended exposure to higher odorant doses caused prolonged activation of the same HSP subset in the non-neuronal cells and severe morphological damage in both supporting cells and olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), suggesting that non-neuronal cytoprotective stress response mechanisms had been overwhelmed and could no longer adequately maintain OE integrity. Significantly, ORNs showed no stress responses in any of our studies. These findings suggest a novel role for these HSPs in olfaction and, in turn, possible involvement in other normal neurophysiological processes. J. Comp. Neurol. 432:425,439, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A critical assessment of the ecological risk assessment process: A review of misapplied conceptsINTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2005Lawrence V. Tannenbaum Abstract A frank assessment of present-day ecological risk assessments (ERA) for managed contaminated sites reveals that fundamental concepts regarding the receptors that are considered and the chemical exposures they experience are commonly misapplied. As a consequence, environmental managers are not being supplied with the information needed for proper decision making. The stepwise review of ecological risk issues provided here suggests that the ERA process needs to be severely revamped. Further, what is likely hindering the development of a refined ecological assessment process that is better suited to environmental problem solving and land management is the unwillingness of stakeholders to agree that much of the current ERA practice and convention is flawed. [source] Adrenal toxicology: a strategy for assessment of functional toxicity to the adrenal cortex and steroidogenesisJOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Philip W. Harvey Abstract The adrenal is the most common toxicological target organ in the endocrine system in vivo and yet it is neglected in regulatory endocrine disruption screening and testing. There has been a recent marked increase in interest in adrenal toxicity, but there are no standardised approaches for assessment. Consequently, a strategy is proposed to evaluate adrenocortical toxicity. Human adrenal conditions are reviewed and adrenocortical suppression, known to have been iatrogenically induced leading to Addisonian crisis and death, is identified as the toxicological hazard of most concern. The consequences of inhibition of key steroidogenic enzymes and the possible toxicological modulation of other adrenal conditions are also highlighted. The proposed strategy involves an in vivo rodent adrenal competency test based on ACTH challenge to specifically examine adrenocortical suppression. The H295R human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line is also proposed to identify molecular targets, and is useful for measuring steroids, enzymes or gene expression. Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal endocrinology relevant to rodent and human toxicology is reviewed (with an emphasis on multi-endocrine axis effects on the adrenal and also how the adrenal affects a variety of other hormones) and the endocrinology of the H295R cell line is also described. Chemicals known to induce adrenocortical toxicity are reviewed and over 60 examples of compounds and their confirmed steroidogenic targets are presented, with much of this work published very recently using H295R cell systems. In proposing a strategy for adrenocortical toxicity assessment, the outlined techniques will provide hazard assessment data but it will be regulatory agencies that must consider the significance of such data in risk extrapolation models. The cases of etomindate and aminoglutethimide induced adrenal suppression are clearly documented examples of iatrogenic adrenal toxicity in humans. Environmentally, sentinel species, such as fish, have also shown evidence of adrenal endocrine disruption attributed to exposure to chemicals. The extent of human sub-clinical adrenal effects from environmental chemical exposures is unknown, and the extent to which environmental chemicals may act as a contributory factor to human adrenal conditions following chronic low-level exposures will remain unknown unless purposefully studied. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] WTC medical monitoring and treatment program: Comprehensive health care response in aftermath of disasterMOUNT SINAI JOURNAL OF MEDICINE: A JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2008Jacqueline M. Moline MD Abstract The attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11th, 2001 exposed thousands of individuals to an unprecedented mix of chemicals, combustion products and micronized building materials. Clinicians at the Mount Sinai Irving Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, in partnership with affected stakeholder organizations, developed a medical screening program to evaluate the health status of workers and volunteers who spent time at the WTC site and thus sustained exposure in the aftermath of September 11th. Standardized questionnaires were adapted for use in this unique population and all clinicians underwent training to ensure comparability. The WTC Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program (MSP) received federal funding in April 2002 and examinations began in July 2002. The MSP and the follow up medical monitoring program has successfully recruited nearly 22,000 responders, and serves as a model for the rapid development of a medical screening program to assess the health of populations exposed to environmental hazards as a result of natural and man-made disasters. The MSP constitutes a successful screening program for WTC responders. We discuss the challenges that confronted the program; the absence of a prior model for the rapid development of a program to evaluate results from mixed chemical exposures; little documentation of the size of the exposed population or of who might have been exposed; and uncertainty about both the nature and potential severity of immediate and long-term health effects. Mt Sinai J Med 75:67,75, 2008© 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine [source] A cohort mortality study of chemical laboratory workers at Department of Energy Nuclear Plants,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 9 2008Travis Kubale PhD Abstract Objective This study evaluates the mortality experience of 6,157 chemical laboratory workers employed at United States Department of Energy facilities. Methods All cause, all cancer and cause-specific standardized mortality ratios were calculated. Cox regression analyses were conducted to further evaluate the relation between chemical exposure and mortality risk due to selected cancers. Results The mortality due to all causes combined and all cancers combined were below expectation for the cohort. There were no statistically significant elevations reported among males for any specific cancer or non-cancer outcome. There no statistically significant elevations among females for any specific non-cancer and most specific cancers; however, multiple myeloma deaths were significantly elevated (SMR,=,3.56; 95% CI,=,1.43,7.33; number of observed deaths, n,=,7). Statistically significant elevations were seen among workers employed 20+ years for leukemia using both 2- and 5-year lag periods. Also, a statistically significant positive trend of elevated lung cancer mortality with increasing employment duration was seen using both 5- and 10-year lags. A similar trend was seen for smoking related cancers among men. Conclusion While lymphatic and hematopoietic cancer mortality was below expectation, a significant elevation of multiple myeloma deaths among females and an elevation of leukemia among workers employed 20+ years (possibly due to radiation and benzene exposure) were observed. A NIOSH case,control study is underway to examine more closely the relation between multiple myeloma and a variety of chemical exposures among workers employed at the Oak Ridge K-25 facility. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:656,667, 2008. Published 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Work-attributed symptom clusters (darkroom disease) among radiographers versus physiotherapists: Associations between self-reported exposures and psychosocial stressorsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2004FRCPC, Susan M. Tarlo MB Abstract Background "Darkroom disease" (DRD) has been used to describe unexplained multiple symptoms attributed by radiographers to their work environment. This study determines the prevalence of symptom clusters similar to other unexplained syndromes among (medical radiation technologists (MRTs) as compared with physiotherapists (PTs), and identifies associated work-related (WR) factors. Methods A mail survey was undertaken of members of the professional associations of MRTs and PTs in Ontario, Canada. Questions were included to determine the prevalence and frequency of symptom clusters including abnormal tiredness as well as WR headaches, and symptoms suggestive of eye, nasal, and throat irritation. For the purpose of this study, these are considered to be DRD symptom clusters. Individuals with doctor-diagnosed asthma were excluded from our analyses. Results Overall, 63.9% of MRTs and 63.1% of PTs participated. Criteria for DRD were met by 7.8% of 1,483 MRTs and 1.8% of 1,545 PTs [odds ratio, OR 4.8 (confidence interval, CI 3.1,7.5); (P,<,0.0001)]. Both occupations showed significant associations between responses reflecting psychosocial stressors and DRD. Those with this symptom cluster were more likely to report additional symptoms than those without, and MRTs with DRD symptoms reported significantly more workplace chemical exposures. Conclusions Findings suggest excess symptoms consistent with DRD among MRTs versus PTs, and there were associations among those meeting our definition of DRD with self-reported irritant exposures and psychosocial stressors. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:513,521, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Simultaneous determination of mercapturic acids derived from ethylene oxide (HEMA), propylene oxide (2-HPMA), acrolein (3-HPMA), acrylamide (AAMA) and N,N -dimethylformamide (AMCC) in human urine using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometryRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 17 2008Thomas Schettgen Mercapturic acids are highly important and specific biomarkers of exposure to carcinogenic substances in occupational and environmental medicine. We have developed and validated a reliable, specific and very sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of five mercapturic acids derived from several high-production chemicals used in industry, namely ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, acrylamide, acrolein and N,N -dimethylformamide. Analytes are enriched and cleaned up from urinary matrix by offline solid-phase extraction. The mercapturic acids are subsequently separated by means of high-performance liquid chromatography on a Luna C8 (2) column and specifically quantified by tandem mass spectrometric detection using isotopically labelled analytes as internal standards. The limits of detection (LODs) for N -acetyl- S -2-carbamoylethylcysteine (AAMA) and N -acetyl- S -2-hydroxyethylcysteine (HEMA) were 2.5,µg/L and 0.5,µg/L urine, while for N -acetyl- S -3-hydroxypropylcysteine (3-HPMA), N -acetyl- S -2-hydroxypropylcysteine (2-HPMA) and N -acetyl- S -(N -methylcarbamoyl)cysteine (AMCC) it was 5,µg/L. These LODs were sufficient to detect the background exposure of the general population. We applied the method on spot urine samples of 28 subjects of the general population with no known occupational exposure to these substances. Median levels for AAMA, HEMA, 3-HPMA, 2-HPMA and AMCC in non-smokers (n,=,14) were 52.6, 2.0, 155, 7.1 and 113.6,µg/L, respectively. In smokers (n,=,14), median levels for AAMA, HEMA, 3-HPMA, 2-HPMA and AMCC were 243, 5.3, 1681, 41.7 and 822,µg/L, respectively. Due to the simultaneous quantification of these mercapturic acids, our method is well suited for the screening of workers with multiple chemical exposures as well as the determination of the background excretion of the general population. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Paternal chemical exposures, hormone levels, and offspring sex ratios: Comment on Trasler ('00)BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, Issue 1 2001William H. James No abstract is available for this article. [source] | ||||||||||||||||